BUTLER (CHARLES) The Feminine Monarchie: or The Historie of Bees, Printed by John Haviland for R...

BUTLER (CHARLES) The Feminine Monarchie: or The Historie of Bees, second edition, variant with 6 leaves in signature A and no blanks, woodcut frontispiece, illustrations, initials and decorations, 44pp. musical notation, lacking signatures T & V and final blank, damp-staining and soiling throughout, early manuscript notes filling reverse of frontispiece and showing through, title with last line of imprint cropped, a few other leaves trimmed with loss or partial loss of either heading or last line, fore-edges of signature D frayed and soiled affecting side-notes, small holes in C1 and L2, modern panelled calf antique, gilt lettered spine [ESTC S10715; British Bee Books 18], 4to, Printed by John Haviland for Roger Jackson, and are to be sold at his shop in Fleetstreet, over against the Conduit, [1623] Footnotes: The second edition of Butler's classic beekeeping treatise. Originally published in 1609, the Feminine Monarchy, as its title suggests, correctly identified the Queen as the central figure in the colony, rather than a King-bee as the Greeks imagined. This second edition was the first to include the woodcut frontispiece and the imaginative 4-part madrigal which sought to imitate the piping of the queen prior to swarming. Saleroom notices: Should read 4pp. of music NOT 44pp. of music This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: • • Zero rated for VAT, no VAT will be added to the Hammer Price or the Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing

Saleroom Notice:
Should read 4pp. of music NOT 44pp. of music